How do I restore .bat files as executables?

Question

Somehow my boss convinced his workstation that the handler for .bat files was supposed to be Word. Now, when double-clicking .bat files, they're opened up in Word.

What do I set the 'Opens with...' property to in order for them to execute?

Answer 1

I think you'll have to remove the .bat file association from the registry (using the regedit program). According to this page, in XP the registry setting you need to remove is the ones UNDERNEAT of HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.bat, and in Vista it is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.bat.

Edit: you'll probably want to back up registry before doing this, just to be safe.

Answer 2

This registry key file will do it. Copy and paste to a text file called "restore.reg", and double click it to merge into the registry.

It will clear out any per-user setting you may have accidentlly created for .bat files, and restore the system defaults, including the .bat <-> batfile file type relationship as well as the actual parameters for launching a batfile.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.bat]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.bat]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Classes\batfile]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.bat]
@="batfile"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\batfile\shell\open\command]
@="\"%1\" %*"

Answer 3

I had the same problem (in Windows 7); batch files were opening in Notepad instead of being executed.

Correcting the below registry for .bat files (as per any other machine where it works) will make the batch execute correctly:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\

.bat                --> default-> Value not set
.bat/OpenWithList   --> default-> Value not set
.bat/OpenWithProgIds--> default-> Value not set
                        batfile-> Zero length binary values 

Keep these entries but remove all others under .bat. Refresh and run a batch file by double clicking - it will run correctly.

Answer 4

In the regisrty you .bat entry needs to point to the batfile entry:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bat]
@="batfile"
.....

Naturally you will also need to make sure you have a batfile registry entry:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile]
@="MS-DOS Batch File"
.....

Answer 5

The registry contents vary for different Windows versions.

I suggest that you find another computer with the same O/S version, and use regedit to export the contents of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.bat and HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile.

Then go to the Boss's machine, delete the above two keys and import the two files.